GS-7 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR

Transcription

1 GS-7 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR PRINTING AND WRITING PAPER SIXTH EDITION NOVEMBER 12, 1999 Green Seal, Inc Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste 872 Washington, DC USA (202) FAX (202) Green Seal s Standards are copyrighted in order to protect Green Seal s publication rights. There are no restrictions on using the criteria in the design or evaluation of products, services and companies Green Seal, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2 GREEN SEAL Green Seal is a non-profit organization whose mission is to use science-based programs to empower consumers, purchasers, and companies to create a more sustainable world. Green Seal sets leadership standards that aim to reduce, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, the environmental, health, and social impacts throughout the life-cycle of products, services, and companies. The standards may be used for conformity assessment, purchaser specifications, and public education. Green Seal offers certification of products, services, and companies in conformance with its standards. For additional information on Green Seal or any of its programs, contact: Green Seal 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 827 Washington, DC (202) greenseal@greenseal.org Copyright 2010Green Seal, Inc.

3 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS-7 2 FOREWORD General. The final issued standard was developed in an open and transparent process with stakeholder input that included producers, users, and general interests. The requirements in the standard are based on an assessment of the environmental, health, or social impacts associated with the products, services, or organizations covered in the scope of the standard. The requirements included in the standard are subject to revision. Provisions for safety have not been included in this standard. This standard neither modifies nor supersedes laws and regulations. Compliance with this Standard is not a substitute for, and does not assure, compliance with any applicable law or regulations. This standard (and any corresponding conformity assessment) presumes compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This standard neither modifies nor supersedes laws and regulations. Compliance with all applicable laws and regulations is a required prerequisite for the manufacturing and marketing of the products. Products, services, or organizations that are substantially similar to those covered by this standard in terms of function and life cycle considerations may be evaluated against the intent of the requirements of this standard, accounting for relevant differences between the intended scope of the Standard and the actual product, service, or organization to be evaluated. This standard may not anticipate features of the product that may significantly, and undesirably, increase its impact on the environment, health, or society. In such a situation, Green Seal will ordinarily amend its standards to account for the unanticipated environmental, health, and societal impacts. Normative references (e.g., other standards) in this standard intend to refer to the most recent edition of the normative reference. Edition. This version is the Sixth Edition and replaces the Fifth Edition from March 25, 1996, including substantive revisions. Disclaimer of Liability. Green Seal TM, as the developer of this standard, shall not incur any obligations or liability for any loss or damages, including, without limitation, indirect, consequential, special, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the interpretation or adoption of, reliance upon, or any other use of this Standard by any party. Green Seal makes no express or implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, nor any other express or implied warranty with respect to this Standard. Tests may be required by the standard that involve safety considerations. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property should be employed in conducting such tests.

4 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS-7 3 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR PRINTING AND WRITING PAPER (GS-7) 1.0 Scope This standard establishes requirements for: 1.1. Printing and writing paper. The subcategories of paper included in this Standard are: Blanks including papers for printed signs, point of purchase displays, window displays, posters and calendar backs Bond paper including letterhead, stationery, invoices, self-adhesive note paper, statement papers and duplicating papers for gelatin type of hectographic reproduction Bristols including file folders, index cards, ruled forms, mailing cards, tag papers, wedding invitations, and postal bristol Business forms including papers sold to be used in business forms and computer printout paper Copy paper including paper made for use in the high speed electrostatic reproduction process Cover paper including heavy papers sold for use as covers for books, catalogs, brochures, pamphlets and similar purposes Drawing paper including papers for architects, artists, and draftsmen for pen or pencil drawings and paper used primarily by school children for sketching, crayon, or watercolor work Labels including labels for file folders, mailing, shipping, and similar purposes Ledger paper including paper used in bound and loose-leaf ledger books, accounting record systems, and legal paper Lightweight printing paper including high quality, high opacity lightweight papers used in bibles, dictionaries, manuals, and professional reference books to reduce bulk Manifold and onionskin paper including paper used for airmail stationery, catalogs, manuals, envelope enclosures, advertisements and carbon copies of correspondence and legal documents.

5 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS Tablet paper including loose leaf paper, notebooks, note pads, adding machine rolls, and cash register rolls Text paper including paper used in annual reports, booklets, menus, announcements, advertising and corporate advertising circulars Uncoated groundwood free papers including uncoated paper used for personalized computer generated letters and promotional mailings in the business forms industry, book manufacturing, magazine blow cards, and duplicating paper for spirit machines Gift wrapping paper including plain and decorated wrapping papers, not including packaging or packaging materials Other recycled printing and writing paper including all other paper sold primarily for use in printing and writing Paper specifically excluded from this Standard. This standard specifically does not include the following paper: 2.0 Definitions Uncoated groundwood papers including Newsprint. [Newsprint is covered by Green Seal Standard GS-15.] Packaging materials Tissue products. [Tissue Products area covered by Green Seal Standards GS-1 and GS-9.] Specialty papers such as carbon paper and carbonless carbon paper Coated groundwood paper and coated groundwood free printing paper. [These products are covered by Green Seal Standard GS-10.] 2.1. Postconsumer material means those finished products, packages or materials generated by a business or consumer that have served their intended end uses and that have been recovered from or otherwise diverted from the waste stream for the purpose of recycling Recovered materials means waste materials and by-products which have been recovered or diverted from solid waste, but such term does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process.

6 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS Product-Specific Performance Requirements The product must be made in accordance with reasonable industry practice with respect to quality and performance. 4.0 Product-Specific Environmental Requirements The product must meet the requirements under either section 4.1 (Recycled Content Requirements) or section 4.2 (Production Process Requirements.). 4.1 Recycled Content Requirements For high-speed copy paper, offset paper, forms bond, computer printout paper, file folders, and white woven envelopes, and for other uncoated printing and writing paper, such as writing and office paper, book paper, cotton fiber paper, and cover stock, the product shall contain at least 30 percent postconsumer materials The percentage of recovered material and postconsumer material shall be calculated and certified based on the fiber weight of the paper. Calculations will also be performed based on the total weight of the paper The calculation of recycled content based on fiber weight shall be performed using the following formulas Recovered Material: (Recovered Material x Yield) [(Virgin Pulp x Yield) + (Recovered Material x Yield)] Postconsumer Material: (Postconsumer Material x Yield) [(Virgin Pulp x Yield) + (Recovered Material x Yield)] The calculation of recycled content based on total weight shall be performed using the following formulas: Recovered Material: (Recovered Material x Yield) [(Non-Fibrous Material x Yield) + (Virgin Pulp x Yield) + (Recovered Material x Yield)] Postconsumer Material: (Postconsumer Material x Yield) [(Non-Fibrous Material x Yield) + (Virgin Pulp x Yield) + (Recovered Material x Yield)] Yield loss will depend on the product manufactured, the raw material, the level of contaminants and the cleaning and deinking

7 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS-7 6 technology employed. The percentage yield shall be calculated by dividing the total material output by the total material input The percentage of recovered material and postconsumer material shall be calculated based on a weighted average of the materials used for a period of time not to exceed the previous three months. 4.2 Production Process Requirements 5.0 Toxics in Packaging If recovered material is used to manufactured the product, it shall not be deinked using a solvent containing chlorine or one listed by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), 40 CFR Section Neither chlorine nor any of its derivatives (such as hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide) shall be used in the bleaching agent if bleaching is employed in the manufacturing of virgin pulp used in the product, in the processing of recovered material, or in the manufacturing of the product itself. 5.1 The sum of the concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium present in any package or packaging component shall not exceed 100 parts per million by weight. 1 1 If a particular manufacturer s operating procedures do not provide for accurate yield measurements, the following shall be used as default values: Recovered/Postconsumer Material: 70% Virgin Pulp: 100% Nonfibrous material: 100%

8 November 12, 1999 Printing and Writing Paper GS-7 7 Appendix: Labeling Requirements for Certification by Green Seal Unless otherwise approved in writing by Green Seal the following labeling requirements shall apply: 1. The Green Seal Certification Mark must appear on the product s packaging. It may also be printed, embossed or watermarked on the product by the product manufacturer. Wherever the Green Seal Certification Mark appears on a package, the package shall contain a description of the basis of certification. This description shall be in a location, style, and typeface that are easily readable by the consumers. 2. The Green Seal Certification Mark shall not be used in conjunction with any modifying terms, phrases, or graphic images that might mislead consumers as to the extent or nature of the certification. 3. If the product is being certified for meeting the requirements of Section 4.1. wherever it appears the Green Seal Certification Mark shall be accompanied by the phrase, Certified XX% postconsumer material. The phrase, Meets Federal procurement guidelines, may also be included. 4. If the product is being certified for meeting the requirements of section.4.2, wherever it appears the Green Seal Certification Mark shall be accompanied by one of the following phrases, as appropriate: The description shall read as follows for unbleached products: Product manufactured without bleaching. Recycled content may have originally been bleached. For whitened or bleached products, as applicable: No chlorine bleach used to manufacture this product. Recycled content may have originally been bleached with chlorine. Product bleached with oxygen. Recycled content may have originally been bleached with chlorine. 5. Labeling language which varies from the requirements of this section may be used with the written approval of Green Seal. In the event of a conflict between a Green Seal labeling requirement and a government labeling requirement, the government requirement will take precedence.